MOSCOW, February 03. /ITAR-TASS/. Moscow praises the results of the African Union Summit that took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on January 30-31, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

“We praise the results of the African Union Summit and its important role in strengthening peace and stability in Africa with the focus on settling crises in South Sudan and the Central African Republic,” the ministry said.

“We discussed in detail the development of agriculture and food security on the continent. The participants noted the increasing role of the African countries, along with the BRICS countries,” the ministry said.

The African Union Summit brought together the heads of state and government, and representatives of international and regional organizations. The Russian delegation, which took part in the forum as an observer, is led by presidential special envoy for cooperation with African countries, Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Mikhail Margelov, who had bilateral meetings with the leaders of African countries on the sidelines of the Summit.

Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is elected chairman of the African Union for the next term. The next summit will take place in Addis Ababa in May 2014.